Owl and the Pussycat Hotel’s Sri Lankan Culinary Pop Up Weekend In Mumbai
String Hoppers… Kiribhat… Jaffna Lamb… Wattalappam…
and that’s only a smidgeon of a taste of what Sri Lanka can offer – as the guests in Mumbai soon discovered!
The chefs from OTP’s restaurant, Botanik, flew up to Mumbai and threw together a fabulous culinary pop up weekend at Mumbai’s very own Magazine Street Kitchen, a private culinary studio.
The event highlighted a variety of Sri Lankan cuisine, serving up classic favourites, while adding the OTP twist. Saturday evening kicked off with a delicious round of beverages including Arak Sours, Dark Rum mixed with Cocofly’s special King Coconut Water, and Colombo Gin cocktails, accompanied by delectable fish and Polos cutlets. The nibbles also included Cocofly’s signature wafer-thin coconut flakes and devilled Cashew nuts. Guests tucked in to the hors d’oeuvres with gusto, while they watched the chefs prep, and learned more about the different ingredients.
Polos, otherwise known as baby Jackfruit, made for an unusual cutlet filling, and is a fantastic alternative for vegetarians and vegans. Delicately spiced and fleshy, the cutlets were the perfect appetizer to kick off a terrific meal.
Reita Gadkari, the owner of OTP and a passionate chef and foodie herself, gave the guests a quick run-down of the meal and the variety of ingredients being used in it’s preparation, leading them through the different courses on the menu. Appetite piqued, everyone sat down at long tables, embellished with colourful Sri Lankan lungis and florals, to enjoy a multi-course meal.
What a feast! The first course included an unusual and delicious Banana Blossom Salad, which was accompanied by mixed grilled peppers, and a cuttlefish recipe served with a hot butter sauce that simply melted in your mouth. Next came a creamy curry served with a traditional Kiribaath (rice cake), followed by the main course.
